NBA YoungBoy is 26 years old. He was born on October 20, 1999, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he’ll turn 27 on October 20, 2026.
His real name is Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, though most people know him by his stage name or his full artist name, YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
His age trips people up because his career started so early, with mixtapes and chart-topping albums arriving before he was even out of his teens.
Plenty of celebrity pages were created years ago and never updated after his birthday passed, which is why 22 or 25 still shows up online. His birth date never changes, so counting from October 20, 1999, always gives the right answer.
How Old is NBA YoungBoy in 2026?
NBA YoungBoy was born on October 20, 1999, and will turn 27 on October 20, 2026. His zodiac sign is Libra, and his birthplace is Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
His career timeline is one reason people often guess his age incorrectly. NBA YoungBoy started releasing music as a teenager and gained major attention while he was still very young.
By his late teens, he was already building a large fanbase and appearing on major music charts, which makes his career feel longer than his actual age suggests.
Many celebrity pages list outdated ages because they were published years ago and never refreshed after his birthdays.
The most reliable way to confirm how old NBA YoungBoy is is to use his birth date, October 20, 1999, and calculate from there. His age changes each year, but his birth date remains the same.
NBA YoungBoy Quick Facts
Here’s a quick snapshot of the basics if you want the numbers without digging through the rest of the page.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kentrell DeSean Gaulden |
| Stage name | YoungBoy Never Broke Again |
| Also known as | NBA YoungBoy |
| Date of birth | October 20, 1999 |
| Age in 2026 | 26 |
| Birthplace | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Profession | Rapper, singer, songwriter |
| Active since | 2015 |
The sections below go into more detail on a few of these points, starting with his real name.
Where Did NBA YoungBoy Grow Up?
NBA YoungBoy’s real name is Kentrell DeSean Gaulden. He is better known by his stage name, NBA YoungBoy, or his professional name, YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
The “NBA” in his artist name stands for Never Broke Again, which became the identity connected to his music career and brand. The name reflects the image he built around perseverance and staying focused despite challenges.
While his legal name appears on official records, releases, and credits, most listeners recognize him by NBA YoungBoy or simply YoungBoy. The stage name has become closely tied to his career, making it the name most fans search for when looking up his music and background.
Where NBA YoungBoy Grew Up?
Image Credit: empocorp.com
He was raised in Baton Rouge by his grandmother, since his father was serving a long prison sentence for most of his childhood.
Rather than chase the industry from a bigger city, he built his following right there, recording and releasing mixtapes out of Baton Rouge before he ever had national attention.
Before he was NBA YoungBoy, he posted early videos on YouTube under the name David G. He didn’t switch to the name most fans know him by until his career started picking up, which is part of why some older records and articles still reference his original handle.
That upbringing shows up in his music constantly, from the accent to the subject matter, and it’s a big reason his fanbase felt loyal to him from the start rather than picking him up after he already had a hit.
How Young Was NBA YoungBoy When His Career Took Off?
Most people are still figuring things out at that age. He was already on the charts.
1. Starting as a Teenager
He put out mixtapes before he could vote. 38 Baby built him a loyal Baton Rouge following, and AI YoungBoy is what carried that following past Louisiana.
2. Breaking Through Nationally
By 2017 and 2018, “Outside Today” had become a genuine breakout single, and Until Death Call My Name landed in the Billboard 200 top 10. AI YoungBoy 2 hit number one not long after.
Most people are still figuring things out at that age. He was already on the charts. His success at such a young age highlights how quickly a music career can grow when talent, consistency, and a dedicated fanbase come together.
How Young He Was at Each Milestone
His career timeline is the biggest reason people guess his age wrong in the first place. Here’s how young he actually was when each of these happened.
| Age | Career Moment |
|---|---|
| 14–16 | Started writing and released his first mixtapes |
| 17 | Built a regional following with early projects like 38 Baby |
| 18 | Released Until Death Call My Name, a Billboard 200 top-10 debut |
| 19 | AI YoungBoy 2 hit number one on the Billboard 200 |
| 23 | Became the youngest artist in Billboard history to chart 100 Hot 100 entries |
| 26 | Released Slime Cry, his 17th top-10 album, tying Drake for the second-most top-10 albums by a rapper in Billboard history |
For context, most people his age are still early in their careers. According to Billboard, he’d already broken chart records by the time he hit his early twenties, a mark previously held by artists years older than him.
Why Do Some Websites List the Wrong NBA YoungBoy Age?
Image Credit: nj.com
A page gets published, it ranks, and nobody circles back to update the number. That’s most of it.
Some pages still list him at 22 or 25 because they were published years ago and never refreshed after his birthdays passed. As of today, someone born October 20, 1999 is 26.
If you’re writing about a celebrity’s age, add the date you’re writing it. It saves the next person from doing this math themselves.
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Where He Stands in Late 2026 In August 2026, NBA YoungBoy told podcast host Funny Marco that a doctor found the left side of his heart was swollen during his 2025 tour, something he says he never disclosed at the time and pushed through until the tour ended. He said the condition is still present. In the same interview, he confirmed he’s relocated to South Korea and said he has one or two albums and one more tour left before he steps back from music. |
Final Thoughts
NBA YoungBoy’s age is easy to check once you know where to look, but the more interesting part is how much he packed into the years leading up to 26. Most artists spend their twenties trying to land a first hit.
He spent his twenties building a catalog, a family, and a fanbase big enough to fill arenas, all while people online were still arguing about how old he actually was.
Everything else about him, from his music to his family to his headlines, has kept moving fast enough to make the math easy to lose track of.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NBA YoungBoy Have Children?
Yes. Most current reports place the number at 13 children with multiple mothers, though the family has not publicly confirmed every child.
What Was NBA YoungBoy’s First Mixtape?
His debut project, Life Before Fame, came out in 2015 when he was still a young teenager and introduced his sound to local Baton Rouge listeners.
What Genre of Music Does NBA YoungBoy Make?
He works mainly in Southern hip-hop and trap, mixing emotional, personal lyrics with a street-influenced sound.
Is NBA YoungBoy Still Active?
He released Slime Cry in January 2026 and remains a recording artist. In August 2026, though, he said he’s taken a step back from touring for health reasons and hasn’t performed live recently.